First of all we will give you a little background about our family. Our names are Alan and Janet Bowley and we live in Congleton, Cheshire. We have been married for 15 years and have 3 children; Ella, aged 9, Lucas, aged 6 and Flynn, aged 3.

Our story and on going battle with cancer began in June 2000. Alan began experiencing epigastric pain; this soon was accompanied by backache and eventually weight loss. Investigations were soon carried out at our local hospital. After two long years and many unpleasant procedures, Alan’s care was transferred to a regional unit and we finally received a long-awaited diagnosis – cancer.

Alan, at the age of 34, was diagnosed with a rare and non-aggressive cancer; a type of sarcoma. The technical term for it was a malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumour (some called it a schwannoma) located in his duodenum. By the time he received his diagnosis, the tumour unfortunately had grown into the head of his pancreas. Nine hours of major surgery followed, thankfully removing the entire tumour.

After a gradual recovery, we spent the following four years coming to terms with Alan’s diagnosis. It was never far from our minds. Several ‘scares’ later, we were on the final approach to the ‘5 years all clear’. Unfortunately, we never made it.

In January 2007, after several months of increasing pain and gradual weight loss, Alan was told there was localised enlargement of a lymph node close to the pancreas. After a further three months of investigations, we were informed that Alan’s tumour had returned. Again the tumour was only small and slow growing but unfortunately it had wrapped itself around a major blood vessel – not good news.

Surgery was discussed, palliative radiotherapy was mentioned and somewhere along the line 2-3 years left was slipped into the conversation. We couldn’t consider anything other than a cure. So after extensive discussion, we decided risky surgery was the only answer. We knew it would be tricky surgery but we felt we had no option.

It was during the weeks leading up to Alan’s impending surgery that we ‘fell’ upon Cyberknife. It seemed like the answer to our prayers. Surgery without the risks….what more could we ask for? Unfortunately when we discussed it with Alan’s surgeon, he had never heard of Cyberknife; he couldn’t give us a fair opinion. We felt in our hearts that it was the right way forward but we wanted someone to tell us we were doing the right thing.

What a decision to make; do we risk potentially life-threatening surgery or do we go for a non-invasive treatment no-one had heard of? We knew what we felt was the right thing to do but we were frightened of making the wrong decision. Thankfully, the task of making that decision was taken from us. Alan’s surgeon decided surgery was far too risky and would be life-threatening.

This is where our Cyberknife journey began.

We discovered that Cyberknife was not available in the UK. There were over one hundred Cyberknife units in the world but none in the UK. We were prepared to travel, so we started our search close to home; to a clinic in Europe. Unfortunately, due to the location of Alan’s tumour, the placement of the fiducial markers was going to be tricky. The clinic in Europe declined Cyberknife treatment. It was such a blow to us. Another door was closing. For me, although not personally battling this disease, it was affecting my life in a dramatic way too but I knew we couldn’t give up. I knew we had to continue fighting. Determined to find a cure, I contacted another Cyberknife clinic.

This time, thankfully, we were given good news. They could offer Alan Cyberknife treatment. Plans were then made to travel to Georgetown University Hospital, Washington DC, USA for revolutionary Cyberknife surgery.

The next chapter of our lives and our continuing battle with this demon began.

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